On 27 February 2020, Nigeria recorded its index case of the coronavirus disease since the beginning of the outbreak in January 2020. Exactly one year down the line, with 154, 476 confirmed cases and 1,891 deaths, the pandemic is still prevalent as it was a year ago and Nigeria is the sixth most affected country in Africa. The challenges in the health sector in Nigeria was exacerbated, and arguably all facet of life made adjustments to respond to the pandemic and its effect. Journalists and other front-line workers have continued to play their role in ensuring that citizens get access to information and awareness on the impact of the pandemic and other ways to mitigate its effect.
At the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, we are reflecting on how the media has fared in its reporting of COVID-19 through a preliminary media monitoring report focused on mapping gaps in the reportage of the pandemic under our Free to share initiative geared at broadening the scope of freedom of expression through engagements on media ethics and accountability journalism. The pilot project is interrogating the intersection between COVID-19, access to information and misinformation by publishing data-driven, human interest investigative stories that will support the media to better provide access to information that informs, educates, and debunks misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic and its multifaceted impact on lives and livelihoods.
